Paper box



M. B. CLAFF PAPER BOX April 6, 1926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12 1925 v gljgwl HM F 5, Wm M I k V, ,0/ J 5, J, 2|T|.| +z Z 2 7 April 6 1926.

, M. B. CLAFF PAPER BOX Filed March 12; 1925 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Lo IJ gnue'ntoz Ratented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES MARK B. CLAFF, 0F RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS,

PAPER BOX.

Application filed March 12, 1925. Se'rialbNo. 15,076.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAKE: B. GLAFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ulseful Paper Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to paper boxes of that type used, for example, as shoe boxes and for similar purposes. The usual method of making boxes has been to score or partly cut into the blank which is to form the bottom and sides, along the lines where it is to be bent. The ends, which are formed of'separate pieces, areglued to the body portion of the box after the same has been bent and thereafter the box is covered or banded around the sides and ends with suitable banding or finishing paperwhich is folded over the topv edges and around the bottom edges of the box to give the box a finished appearance. In some instances the box is strengthened by interposing a string between the box and the banding or finishing paper. Boxes made in this way are objectionable because of the rough interior finish, particularly at the ends, due to the exposure of end flanges of unfinished material to which the end pieces of the boxes are affixed. Another method of making boxes includes creasing a blank one surface of which is entirely covered with finishing paper, said: blank being formed with end flaps integral with the sides of the box and end members integral with the bottom of the box. The side portions are left sufliciently long so that they can be turned in to form a finishing strip completely around the top inside edge of the box. This requires an excessive amount ofcarboard and finishing paper. The side flaps are extended to meet each other and the end portions'are affixed to the outer surfaces of these flaps. Furthermore much of the finishing paper is concealed between the flaps and the end portions where it is unnecessary.- The excessive use of cardboard and finishing or surfacing paper at points where they are not needed adds considerably to the cost of each box.

; It is an object of the present invention to provide a box the blank of which is shaped preferably by creasing, thereby eliminating the faults found in a scored blank and retaining the strength of material found solely in a creased box. I 1

Another object consists in making the end material of the box of less thickness than the body material and having covering paper extending over the end portions just enoiigh to give a finished appearance to the. topinside ends. The box is thus given a finished appearance at its ends both inside and out without excessive Waste of cardboard and finishing paper such as hereto-.

fore present.

- A further object is to provide a creased box which can be made from a blank to which finishing. or surfacing paper has been applied, the amount of material'necessary for the construction of the box being much v less than that heretofore required in a similar box made by other means.

Afurther object is to so construct a box that it can be easily and economically made from rolls of cardboard and finishing paperwithin the scope of what is claimed with.--

out departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a strip from which blanks are cut for producing the bottom and sides of abox and flanges at the ends thereof. f

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 Fig. 1

Figure 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the end portions of the box are cut.

Figure 4 isa section on line 44 F ig.3.

Figure. 5 is a section through the main blank shown in Figures 1 and 2, the same being bent along the creases therein.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one end portion of the box prior to the application of the end member.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the end member.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through the end of a finished box, said section being on the line 88 Figure 9. I

Figure. 9 is a vertical transverse section throu h the finished box, taken on. the line 99, igure 8.

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10 Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a horizontal section through one sideportion of one end of the box, showmgta slightly modified construction.

eferring to the figures. by characters of reference 1 designates a strip of unfinished material to the side portions of which are aflixed finishing strips 2. The outer edge portions of the strips2 are folded around the edge portions of the strip 1 as shown particularly in Figure 2 and these strips 2 are slightly wider than they wall or side portions of the blank. These wall or side portions extend from the side edges of the blank inwardly to longitudinal creases indicated at 4 and, obviously, the finishing strips extended inwardly past the creases. That portion of the blank between the creases and which has been indicated generally at 5 is adapted to form the bottom portion of the box and in the formation of the blank the same is shaped at its ends with angular incisions 6 at the ends of the creases which result in the formation of flanges 7 at the ends of the bottom portion 5 and flanges 8 at the ends of the side portions 9. These flanges are divided from the bottom and side portions of the blank by transverse creases 10.

The ends of the boxes are adapted to be out from a strip of unfinished material indicated at 11 in Figures 8 and 4. This strip 11 has a finishing strip 12 afiixed to one side thereof, one side portion of the finishing strip being extended past the ,longitudinal center of the strip 11 while the other side portion of the finishing strip is extended laterally beyond strip 11 to form a longitudinal flap 13. It is to be understood that the strip 11 is to be cut into len ths equal to the interior width of the box to be formed. Both blanks shown in Figures 1 and 3 have the finishing material applied to them before they are cut to proper lengths.

An important feature of this invention is the fact that the unfinished strip 11 from which the end blanks are made is not more than one-half the thickness of the unfinished strip 1 from which the other blanks are formed consequently when the strip 11 is folded along its longitudinal center at the crease 14, the double thickness resulting a from the folding of the strip will not be greater than the single thickness of the strip 1.

In assembling the box two end blanks produced from the strip illustrated in Fig- 'ure 3 are used in connection with one main trated in Figure 6. This portion of the box 1s then closed at its ends by the end members one of which has been illustrated in Figure 7 The flanges 7 and 8 are extended between the two thicknesses of the respective end blanks and affixed thereto after which the flap 13 is extended under and affixed to the bottom of the box. Thus the construction of the box is completed and the inner thickness of each end blank willpresent a smooth unbroken surface extending from one side to the othe of the box and from the top to the bottom thereof. The material which in ordinary box constructions completely backs the end members of the boxes, is not needed in this device and is consequently saved. The end of the box, being formed of thinner material than the remaining portion, is equal to or less than the thickness of the sides and bottom of the box even though composed of two thicknesses. This arrange- .ment is advantageous not only because of the superior interior finish of the box resulting therefrom but also because of the added strength due to the positioning of the flanges between the two thicknesses and the bracing of the sides of the box by the thickness which is interposed between them.

As shown particularly in Figure 11 a finishing strip 15 which is wider than the end blank 16 can be applied to said blank so as to leave a flap 17 of finishing material at each side of the blank which can be brought to the corner of the box and thereby conceal the edge of the blank 16 which would otherwise be exposed.

It might be stated that in actual practice it has been found that by the elimination of meeting end flaps such as heretofore used in a creased box as a backing for the end portions or walls of the box, the present inven-' tion effects a saving of approximately fifty square inches of stock in a box four inches deep. As it becomes unnecessary to use the finishing material except on portions of the narrow flanges and as the greater portion of the bottom of the box is left unfinished there is, obviously, a great saving also in the amount of finishing material necessary as compared with that used on creased boxes heretofore made from finished blanks.

The box constituting the present invention has been designed for quantity production and is at the present time being produced at the rate of forty-two boxes per minute by means of automatic machinery in operation at Norfolk Downs, Massachusetts, in the plan of the Pneumatic Scale Corporation. In the automatic production of the boxes it is essential that the strips from which the end blanks are out be fed as separate independent strips along lines extending transversely of the main blank including the bottom and sides. After the end blanks have been severed from their strips they are applied to the exterior surfaces of the flanges of the box so as to close the ends of the box. Thereafter portions of these end blanks are folded into the box. so as to come against and be secured to the inner surfaces of the flanges. In practice it has been found that unless a box is constructed as herein described and shown it cannot be manufactured in quantities at high speed by means of the foregoing method.

What is claimed is:

1. A paper box comprising a blank including a bottom portion, side portions and inturned end flanges on the side portions, said box having ends adapted for quantity pro duction by feeding the same transversely of the blank as separate independent strips, said ends each comprising a blank applled to the exterior of said flanges, thereby closing the end of the box, and folded against and secured to the interior surfaces of said thereby closing the end of the box, and folded against and secured to the interior surfaces of said flanges.

3. A paper box comprising a blank including a bottom portion, side portions and flanges at the ends of the side portions, said blank comprising a strip of unfinished material and strips of finishing material aflixed thereto, the strips of finishing material constituting means for covering the outer surfaces of the side portlons and having their longitudinal e ges lap ing the bottom portion and the inner sur aces of the side portions respectively, said box having ends adapted for quantity production by feeding the same transversely of the blank as separate independent strips said ends each comprising a blank applle to the exterior of said flanges thereby closing the end of the box, and'folded against and secured to the interior surfaces of said flanges. Y

4. A paper box comprising a blank including a bottom portion, side portions and inturned end flanges on the side portions, said box having ends adapted for quantity production by severing the same from separate independent strips fed transversely of the blank, said ends each comprising a blank applied to the exterior of said flanges, thereby closing the end of the box; and folded against and secured to the inner surfaces of said flanges.

5. A paper box comprising a blank includ ing a bottom portion, side portions and in-' turned end flanges on the side portions, said box having ends adapted for quantity production by severing the same from separate independent strips fed transversely of the blank, saidends each comprising a blank of unfinished material and a covering on one face of finishing material, said blank being applied to the exterior faces of the flanges, thereby closing the end of the box, and folded against and secured to the interior-surfaces of said flanges.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

MARK B. CLAFF. 

